Thoughts from a hospital

Yes it is me finally writing a blog, but i cant promise that I am back to the blogging world. I am actually writing this from my hospital room where I have been for the past four days and will hopefully going home from tomorrow. It has been quite the journey this past little while and I wanted to write it all down so I could remember. So sit back and get ready for a good story.


THE BEGINNING
About four weeks ago I started to have a headache and a sharp pain in my left side. So, I went to the doctor and the diagnosis was a bladder/kidney infection and possibly a sinus infection. So my Dr.(who is wonderful by the way) put me on an antibiotic and sent me home. About five days later the infection was still hurting my headaches were getting worse so I went back to the Dr.He discovered the infection was still there so he put me on a new antibiotic and decided to try some migraine meds for my headaches. I went home and over the next week I was still not getting much relief. The migraine medicine gave me a worse headache plus crazy side affects. I stopped the medicine and decided with my Doctors advice that I would schedule an appt with a neurologist. This was on a Thursday.

ER VISIT #1
BY Saturday night my head was much worse. I made a late night run to the grocery store for milk and formula and by the time I got home I was wiped out. I woke up Sunday morning and was feeling like I was getting sick, but I had no symptoms. No runny nose, cough, stomach ache, nothing. So I got the kids ready for church and rushed out the door. During Sacrament my body started to ache and I was FREEZING. This continued as I went off to primary and I just felt like I could not get warm. My body hurt so bad but I only had about a half hour before church as out so i decided to stay. Then my dear friend Wanda came and found me and told me that Parker had a high fever. That sealed it. I was going home.
I barely made it home because I was shaking so bad from the pain and chills. I went inside got Parker and I both in out jammies and we laid on the couch. I fed Parker and tried to rest but the pain was getting worse in the body by the second, and my head was aching more than ever. After church Wanda took the other kids to her house, and my friend Karen came to help me with Parker. It was so bad that I couldn't even move to get him some medicine for the fever. This went on for about one hour, and finally Karen tracked down Doug who was still meeting with people at church , to come home to take me to the ER.
When we arrived at the Er I had a fever and I was hurting all over. They gave me some Ibuprofen and then I had to wait for about 2 1/2 hours. By the time I saw the Er doctor, I was sweating all over my fever was gone and he was skeptical about me being sick. He did send me down for a cat scan for my head which came back normal. His diagnosis was a virus and to go home and rest and get plenty of fluids. I think ER doctors are required to give that diagnosis. :0)

Thougts from the hospital cont.

THE EPISODES

So here we are at Monday. Sunday night was really rough, but things would only get worse. Monday morning I woke up and Doug had already left for work. Brielle stayed over at Wandas house so I just had the boys. They woke up and it took everything I had to get up and get them breakfast. My friend Karen came back over and helped me get the boys dressed. Then while I laid on the couch she played with them and kept them occupied so I could rest. This is when the "Episodes" started. I was still feeling really cold and achy and this morning was no different. I started to get cold and shake and then my body began to hurt worse that ever. I felt like EVERY bone in my body was BreAKinG! It went on like this for about an hour. I finally took some ibuprofen and an hour later I started to sweat again. Not just sweat, I was totally drenched, from head to toe. The pain was relieved quite a bit except for the pain in my head and then I just slept. I felt like I had run a marathon. About 4 hours later I started to feel cold again and then the severe pain returned. This is why I call them the episodes. Because it just kept repeating like this over and over again, never stopping. Karen and Wanda watched my kids, and Alice brought me groceries and I didn't move off the couch all day.


ER VISIT #2
Monday night was my worst night yet. So, I called my Doctor first thing in the morning and they could get me in at 10:15. The next two hours were some of the worst. I just laid on the couch and sobbed. I hurt so bad and literally could not move. Doug took me to the doctor where I had temp of 103.7 and even with the ibuprofen my body was not getting better. I was in BAD shape. My doctor decided that I needed to be admitted to the hospital. So I was sent again to the ER so they could do a SPINAL TAP. For those of you who don't know what that is, they stick a huge needle into your spine and drain fluid from it for testing. It is the exact opposite of fun. I again waited in the ER forever before they did the Spinal tap and then waited for about 5 hours before they put me in a room. All the while my head and body were going through the episodes.
Finally, about 8:30 Pm I was admitted to my hospital room where I have been ever since.

THE HOSPITAL
We have now made it to Wednesday. Wow what a wild ride. Tuesday night was full of pain and blood draws and my back was pretty sore from the Spinal tap. They began on Wednesday to rule out everything they could possibly could. That included taking my blood whenever they felt like, and meeting with new Dr's. They decided they would start out with some tests to go along with the Spinal. So they sent me to get a cat scan on my abdomen. Everything was going along quite nicely until they injected the contrast dye into the IV near the end of the test. I THEN HAD AN ALLERGIC REACTION to the dye. My face swelled up and my lips turned blue, my vision went blurry and I couldn't breath. I was really scary.I finished out the test but felt really weak after that.
Then they took me back to my room. As soon as we got back the coldness started to came back and I had the worst "episode" yet. I started shaking so bad I couldn't stop and I was literally yelling out in pain. They immediately gave me a shot of narcotics, benadryl and steroids. The pain stopped a few minuted later and I was finally able to sleep. It was a rough few hours.

Later that day I met with a few different Doctors who of course all wanted blood samples for different tests. I met with a hematologist to discuss my blood. My white blood cell count was REALLY LOW and my platelets were down so they know I was fighting off something bad. The hematologist wanted to do work on my blood, so more tests. He told me that if my blood count didn't go up by the morning then they would have to do a bone marrow biopsy. But we will get to that. Then I met with the Rhuematologist who wanted to do work to see if I had Lupus or some other Auto-Immune disease. Then came the infectious disease doctor who wanted to rule out any crazy diseases. And last but not least cam the Neurologist. He obviously wanted to do tests for things like MS, brain tumors etc. So it was quite the panel of Doctors to try and solve the Mystery.

Wednesday night came and guess what, it was the first night without the pain!!!!! What? I know I was shocked. But I know it was from the fasting and prayers. Both mine and Doug's families fasted all day, and I know that miracles can happen. Another REALLY EXCITING thing happened on Wednesday. My Mom flew into Knoxville to take care of me. She is so amazing, and I am more grateful to her than anyone can know. It is great.



Thursday began bright and early with of course it starting off with more blood work. They came back to let me know my white blood cells were still low so they would be in to to the BONE MARROW BIOPSY. This is DEFINITELY the WORST test that can be done to a living person. Let me explain. First, they numb the area between your hip bone and your back. Then they make an incision with a razor blade. next, they take a ginormous needle and hammer it and dig it into your bone! OUCH! Then they take a smaller a needle to suck out the marrow in your bone. It is pretty indescribable. I just know that my back is going to hurt for days. Then they sent off the slides and we had to wait.
Then last night they sent me off finally for an MRI of my head. Maybe some headache answers.

The Good news

So now it is Friday. I have received most of my test results back. I don't have MS, Lupus Leukemia, Lymphoma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, infectious diseases, a brain tumor, or anything else life threatening. I only got one answer. They found a small inflammation spot on my brain, but WHY do I have the massive never ending headache and why is my blood count still so low? I have another MRI scheduled for the morning. They are going to look at that spot a little more in depth to determine what to do. Best case scenario they can treat it with steroids and I will be fine. So now I sit the hospital and wait. I will hopefully go home tomorrow and will continue to meet with some doctors just as an outpatient. I guess time will tell, but I am confident they will find an answer.

I would really like to thank all of you who have called, prayed, fasted, made meals, watched kids, cleaned my house, and just plain cared. I am sure I am not even sure what a lot of you have done. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who love me. This experience more than anything has taught me that I am loved and not alone. My Heavenly Father knows me and is aware of me and will send angels among us to do his will. I am so grateful for all that I have been given. I also now appreciate my life way more. When you are threatened with something that may actually change your life, the little things just don't matter anymore. it is my new outlook to enjoy what I have while I have it.